Moving Forward
by Syrus
Summary: Through all the years that Miles Edgeworth knew Phoenix Wright, he never was able to say just what he needed to. This Christmas though, that would change.


**To revellett. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  
**

**Moving Forward**

Miles Edgeworth never did anything like this since he was a child. Celebrating Christmas and having good cheer during the season or anything like that. No, Von Karma certainly did a number on him for all of those years, teaching both he and Franziska all of this merriment was just a waste of time, and purchasing presents for people with no return expected from those people was a waste of resources. It was all carefully planned interactions and investments, without even a moment for anything that wouldn't get some gain. How many years had he wasted not connecting with those around him...how many years he wasted becoming what he hated most as a child.

Phoenix Wright changed all of that. The moment that man was reintroduced into his life, it started out as an irritation, someone that just put marks on his previously perfect record through some beginner's luck. A man that would not believe the child he once was died in him many years ago. A man he used to find to be naively optimistic and trusting. But that man refused to give up on him, and he was sure he owed him his life many times over. How many times Phoenix had saved him, his livelihood, his mental well being, his trust in himself...and now, there was nothing that Miles wouldn't do for him.

Phoenix refused to to accept anything less than friendship from him, and while at first this also irritated him, since he'd never had a friend just to have a friend in his adult life, he grew to depend on it. Depend on Phoenix. When he finally accepted that the two of them were friends once more, things began to take a turn into territory he definitely had no experience in. He knew how to charm people, he knew how to use his charisma to get people to do what he wanted, when he wanted, but did he know just how to feel? How to just love someone and appreciate them for everything that they were without any expectation of receiving something in return? He certainly didn't, so Phoenix's seemingly endless capacity of care and concern toward him and his well being was something that blind sided him.

That silly, naïve, loving, wonderful man had done something to him. He'd succeeded in changing him forever, found a way into his thoughts, into his heart, and now...Miles was sure he'd never be able to love anyone else. In spite of knowing this fact for years, he'd never gained the courage to do anything about it. He knew nothing about actual romance or relationships, and he always felt that Phoenix deserved someone more like himself...someone a lot less damaged than he was. But the way Phoenix looked at him sometimes when the two of them were alone always caused his breath to hitch and his heart to skip a beat. There were times when they were so close...close enough to admit to something, to touch each other and make it real, but...neither of them ever made the move.

It was too scary, jumping head first into something he had no idea about. All those years ago, he was content to just let things be, figuring that one day it would be right, and that if something was to happen, it would happen in its own time. How wrong he was. One fateful day some twelve years ago, Phoenix Wright did what he always did, helping those that seemed most hopeless, but somehow, everything went completely awry. His trusting nature was taken advantage of, and as a result, he lost his badge. Oh, that made Miles want to rage against the system, when someone who'd done nothing but good in a system that was more corrupt than he really wanted to admit was removed that way, it really made him lose some faith.

When he heard the news, he was out studying law abroad in Europe, with no immediate plans to return, but that made him know it was time to come back. He came to support his friend in his time of need, but there was very little he could do, especially when Phoenix himself felt that larger powers were at work in this whole situation. For all those years, he worked with his friend to turn things in his favor, to get back his badge and bring in the mastermind of the whole nefarious plot, and in all those years, he felt like the two of them got close in a way they never were before, and every one of those past feelings came back with force.

It was now Christmas eve, and he invited Phoenix over to his home to spend it with him. It was usually a lonely time for him, spent working since he had no one to spend it with, but this year, finally, it would be different. This year, this day, he finally was going to do something about what was brewing between the two of them for all these years. He felt his nervousness and anxiousness building in him the closer the time Phoenix was to arrive came, feeling his heart beating in his throat when his bell finally rang. He gulped and went to answer the door. He would not lose his courage, he owed both of them that much.

He was thankful that he and Phoenix would be able to spend some time alone with everything dying down finally, Kristoph Gavin having been tried, sentenced, and put behind bars, Phoenix retaking the Bar to earn his badge back, and Trucy being allowed to know the Feys much better, now bonding with them like sisters. She was with them now, apparently learning about life in Kurain from Maya and Pearl, the two of them trying to change their own traditions for all of these years on learning of all the darkness in their family's past. Miles knew that the two of them would be able to accomplish anything they put their minds to, being just as amazing as Phoenix was. Though, he decided to push them out of his mind temporarily.

Now, he just wanted to focus on Phoenix. He opened the door, and gave him a small smile as he came in, "You should come inside, Wright. It's a cold night and that thin sweatshirt of yours won't do you any favors."

Phoenix responded with a small smirk and said, "Always the charmer, Edgeworth."

Phoenix had found a way to get a little harder and more dry over these years, and Miles supposed it was a way to cope with everything life threw his way. It was sink or swim for him, especially having lost his job and then being given a child to take care of so suddenly at the same time. Miles was sure he'd have let himself sink straight into depression if he was Phoenix without any return, but that man found a way to stay strong and keep fighting. It hardly was easy for him, but he refused to give up. That was one thing he was sure would never change in Phoenix, and he definitely treasured that more than anything.

It was one of the many reasons he would make a move tonight. He moved aside so that his friend could enter and then he led him toward the living room. He made sure to have a warm fire already burning in the fireplace, and he quickly retreated to the kitchen to bring them both some hot cocoa. He'd never done Christmas before, but this time, he planned on doing it right. He wanted everything to go right for once. Phoenix easily accepted the cup, and Miles carefully took a seat next to him on the couch.

Without larger and more serious things on his mind, all he could think about now was how close Phoenix was to him, and he tried to take a slow breath to keep his heart rate down. He had to stay calm. It would do him no good to be stumbling and stuttering all over himself in a moment like this.

After the two of them were properly settled on the couch, Phoenix looked into his mug and spoke, "After everything...it feels really strange to finally have my life back. Almost like...it shouldn't be mine after the way it was taken from me."

Miles knew exactly what that felt like, but he scoffed all the same, replying dryly, "You worked hard to bring the truth to light, as you always have. Of course you deserve it back. You never should have lost your badge in the first place."

The smallest of smiles then twitched at Phoenix's lips as he met eyes with him and softly said, "I couldn't have done any of this without you."

Miles then softly gulped, the look Phoenix was giving him reminiscent of those from years ago, when they could have had something. Miles wouldn't give up on that chance twice, knowing that he wasn't that big a fool. He took in a deep breath to steady himself, putting his cocoa down, and he looked right into Phoenix's eyes. A look of surprise seemed to flash in his friend's eyes, and he decided to put his down too, realizing instinctively that it would be best for him to do.

"Phoenix...Nick. I...it's taken me so long, far too long to find the courage to say this, so please, hear me out and bear with me." Miles felt his face redden as he called Phoenix by the nickname he used to as a child, somehow feeling as though it was especially important for him to bring this to a personal level to make it meaningful.

His eyes widened slightly, but he said nothing else, just nodding and waiting for him to continue speaking.

With one more deep breath, he pushed himself to keep going, his face reddening even more as he revealed all his personal feelings bottled up for all this time, "For all these years, you've helped me through some of the most difficult times of my life, and there's no telling where I would be right now if you never were there. I'd most likely either be in jail or dead at least a few times over. I...owe everything to you, and I...I want to thank you for never losing faith in me, even when I've lost faith in myself."

"Miles..." his first name was returned with so much warmth from the other, Miles really could believe that the old Phoenix was right there, just under the surface, "You've done no less for me, helping me when I would have been lost on my own."

Miles gulped one more time. The two of them had gotten here before, telling each other how much they meant to each other, but always just toeing the surface of what it all meant. He would go farther now, knowing that enough valuable time had already been wasted, "I...it's meant far more to me than I'd ever revealed to you, but now...I think it's time I finally say it all."

Miles looked down to Phoenix's hands, his own shaking almost visibly from his nervousness and anxiousness at doing something he'd never done before, reaching out with both of his to take one of Phoenix's between them and clutch it as though it was a lifeline. With the only sound in the room being the soft crackling of the fire, Miles easily heard the way the other's breath came in at a soft gasp at that, and he knew right then he couldn't stop. He had to push onward and say what had been on his mind for the past twelve years.

He bit his lip softly and whispered, "I've never had a friend like you, someone so willing to go to any lengths to help me, and I'm so grateful to have you in my life. But...you mean far more to me than that. It took me so long to realize it because before you, I had no room for anything like our friendship in my life. Spending all this time with you has changed me...surely for the better, and I...I would do anything for you."

He carefully looked at Phoenix before he said the final and most important words, seeing the other's eyes had teared up and filled with emotions so deep, Miles was sure they would swallow him whole. This time around, he would not resist. He wanted all of it, all of him, if Phoenix would have him.

He felt his own eyes beginning to tear with how much he was affecting the other with his words, and he pushed the last words out of his mouth, "Nick, I love you."

He watched Phoenix's face carefully for a reaction, his heart beating straight into his throat again in absolute anxiousness, making him wonder in the back of his mind if he would suffer from a heart attack. He surely would if Phoenix was to reject him after saying all of this. The other appeared to be digesting his words carefully before a smile of absolute happiness began to materialize on his face. Abruptly, he found himself pulled into a tight hug as the other whispered back in his ear, "I love you, too, Miles. I love you, too."

Miles smiled back then, feeling some tears trailing down his cheeks at the relief of finally getting those words out after what surely was enough time. To hear Phoenix say it back to him was more than he could have asked for, and he was sure that this had to have been the best Christmas of his life. When the two of them began to pull away from each other, Miles was planning to settle back into his seat to think over what had just happened between them, but it appeared that Phoenix had other plans. The next thing he knew, the other had his hands buried in his hair and his lips locked in what had to be the most satisfying kiss of his life.

He admittedly hadn't kissed too many others in his life, and none of those kisses contained the emotion this one did. None of them sent shivers running through his entire body and had him gasping for breath nearly immediately after they'd started. As the kiss went on, getting deeper and hands clutching at each other more greedily, Miles was beyond sure that this also was unnecessarily delayed for far too long. Every pent up emotion and desire he'd had for Phoenix was released all at once, and he just couldn't get enough of the other. After denying himself so long, it really would be hard to stop himself now that he finally had him.

He let his hands wander up into Phoenix's messy hair under that beanie of his, and he tossed the hat aside. Miles was basically running on instinct at this point, letting his passions take control of him in a way they never had before. He felt the other's hands running down his back, and he arched his body into his, shuddering as he thought about what it would feel like to have those hands on his bare skin. It seemed as though his friend read his mind when Phoenix gave him what had to be the most attractive smirk imaginable as he leaned forward to whisper into his ear, "Maybe we should move somewhere more comfortable."

Miles just had to smirk back as he quickly got off the couch to tug Phoenix toward his bedroom, knowing now beyond any semblance of a doubt that this was the best night in his life. As he got tugged along, Phoenix gave him a playful smile and said, "Oh, and, Merry Christmas."

"It definitely will be." he returned just as playfully, tugging Phoenix into the bedroom and slamming the door shut behind them.


End file.
